Federal data
Highest earning certificate practical nursing programs in North Carolina
North Carolina practical nursing programs, ranked by median earnings one year after completion, from the College Scorecard field-of-study file (September 18, 2026). Only programs with at least 30 counted graduates in the earnings sample are shown, and at least 5 programs must qualify for this list to exist.
| Rank | School | City | Sector | Median earnings, 1 year after | Graduates counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McDowell Technical Community College | Marion | Public, 2-year | $51,299 | 40 |
| 2 | Forsyth Technical Community College | Winston-Salem | Public, 2-year | $48,466 | 55 |
| 3 | Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville | Public, 2-year | $47,495 | 60 |
| 4 | Durham Technical Community College | Durham | Public, 2-year | $46,533 | 30 |
| 5 | Central Carolina Community College | Sanford | Public, 2-year | $44,904 | 45 |
Earnings cover federally aided graduates only, as published by College Scorecard.
How to read this. A smaller program can show a high or low figure from just a few graduates, and this earnings figure only ever covers students who received federal aid, so it does not describe every graduate.